Sanctions stay till North Korea takes 'irreversible' steps: South Korea, U.S. defence chiefs

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is greeted by his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo upon his arrival at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool

SEOUL (Reuters) - United Nations sanctions against North Korea should remain in place until North Korea takes concrete, irreversible steps toward denuclearisation, the defence chiefs of South Korea and the United States said on Thursday.

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and his counterpart Song Young-moo also agreed to explore additional confidence-building measures while North Korea continues dialogue "in good faith," according to a joint statement released by Seoul's defence ministry after their talks in Seoul.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Christine Kim)